Kampala, (UG): The just concluded historic Royal Wedding in Busoga Kingdom which saw over 2000 guests attend in person at Bugembe Cathedral has hit a deadlock after barely a week with controversial city lawyer, Hassan Male Mabirizi Kiwanuka dragging the royal couple to court over what he termed as an illegal marriage.
On Saturday, November 18, Uganda, and Busoga Kingdom, in particular, witnessed a grad ceremony as Kyabazinga William Wilberforce Nadiope Kadhumbula IV walked down the aisle with the Inebantu Jovia Mutesi after changing marriage vows before the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Dr Samuel Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu.
However, in a turn of events, lawyer Male Mabirizi who has made a name in suing the bigwigs in the country including traditional rulers has revealed plans to drag the Busoga King to court alongside others for engaging in an illegal marriage.
The others to be sued include the Inebantu Jovia Mutesi, Archbishop Kaziimba Mugalu who presided over the marriage vows, and the Buganda queen Nnaabagereka Sylvia Nagginda who signed the marriage certificate of the couple as a witness.
Mabirizi who notes that he has held meetings with people he’s yet to reveal, says four people will be charged with criminal offences which include fictitious marriage, bigamy (marriage with a person previously married), and unlawfully performing marriage ceremony and conspiracy.
“It has been agreed after looking at all the laws that the five charges with the first one being fictitious marriage which is picked from section 48 of the marriage act – this is specifically for King Nadiope who is much aware that he has a marriage contracted in London but at the end of the day he ends up claiming and lying to people that he has never had such a marriage and entering into a second marriage, ” Mabirizi noted.
“..the second offence is bigamy again the Kyabazinga who much aware that he has a marriage which is subsisting but he ends up contracting another marriage,” he adds.
For the third case, Mabirizi says Queen Mutesi faces charges of going into a marriage ceremony with a married person yet she’s much aware and was put on notice that the man is married but she went ahead to marry him.
The fourth offence is against Archbishop Kaziimba Mugalu for officiating over a marriage well aware that What he was conducting was unlawful.
“The marriage act punishes that with five years imprisonment and Naginda combined with the rest into one offence conspiracy to commit felonies contrary to section 390 of the penal code act and well much aware that the man was already married, they conspired to commit such offences as prohibited by the marriage act and the penal code act”- Mabirizi emphasized.
The city lawyer who is fond of running to court on anything has previously had two of his important cases taken up by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The case he filed against pastor Bujingo for marrying Makula when he was still legally married to Teddy was taken over by the DPP as well as the one where he dragged Museveni’s son Muhoozi for holding political rallies when he was still a serving army officer.
At the file of writing this story, it was not yet clear from Mabirizi if his decision to drag the BUsoga Royal couple, Archbishop and attendees to court was an influence of one Ann Alison Nadiope who has been in the news recently fighting to stop the royal wedding.
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